A Tustin businessman has pleaded not guilty to charges that he hired a reputed mobster to arrange the murder of his secretary's boyfriend. Julius Frederick Schill, 57, entered his plea in a federal court hearing Monday and was ordered to stand trial March 10. Richard Marion Dota, 55, the man Schill allegedly hired to arrange the killing, also pleaded not guilty. Federal authorities said Schill, the owner of the Tustin-based Auto Photo Systems, was expected to be released on $1.

An Orange County businessman was found not guilty Wednesday of charges that he paid a reputed Las Vegas mobster $21,000 to kill his secretary's fiance as part of a plot to have an affair with her. Although a U.S. District Court jury acquitted Julius F. Schill, 58, of San Juan Capistrano in the scheme, it convicted his co-defendant, Richard J. Dota, of murder for hire and conspiracy.

A man accused of arranging a mob-style murder contract on an ex-Marine as a favor for a Tustin businessman was denied bail Wednesday in federal court. Richard Marion Dota, 55, of Las Vegas sought to be released on $250,000 bail, but U.S. Magistrate Ronald W. Rose refused the request, saying the defendant had an extensive criminal record and was a flight risk, as well as a danger to public.

Opposing attorneys in a murder-for-hire trial slammed each other's cases Friday, accusing one another of using perjured testimony and "smoke screen" arguments in an effort to "manipulate" the jury. The verbal sparring occurred during closing arguments in the trial of Orange County businessman Julius F. Schill and reputed mobster Richard M. Dota in U.S. District Court . Assistant U.S. Atty.

A prominent Tustin businessman was arraigned Monday in federal court here on charges he conspired to have another man beaten and shot to death behind an Irvine office building. The victim, Wilbur Constable, 26, of Mission Viejo, survived a .38-caliber bullet wound in the head and a severe beating with baseball bats on Oct. 12. Workers later found him in a field near the Irvine Spectrum business park, and he was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo.

A man who survived a vicious mob-style murder attempt that authorities say was financed by a wealthy Orange County businessman said Tuesday that he had no idea why three thugs beat him with bats, shot him in the back of the head and left him for dead.

A man who is accused of pulling the trigger in a mob-style murder attempt on a Mission Viejo man said Wednesday that he was embarrassed when he learned what the motive was behind the contract to kill. Blake Tek Yoon said he and his "crew" believed they were out to kill a mob figure last Oct. 11. But the victim turned out to be Wilbur Constable, a 25-year-old salesclerk and ex-Marine who authorities said merely stood in the way of a wealthy businessman's romantic pursuits.

Two men who pleaded guilty to a murder conspiracy charge for the near-fatal attack on a former Marine testified Thursday that they never intended to kill the man. John Caravaggio and Scott Smith testified that they thought they were going to be paid $500 to beat Wilbur Constable with baseball bats and had no idea that their partner, Blake Tek Yoon, would pull out a handgun and shoot the man in the back of the head. "I intended to beat him up a little bit and go home," Smith testified.

An Orange County businessman was found not guilty Wednesday of charges that he paid a reputed Las Vegas mobster $21,000 to kill his secretary's fiance as part of a plot to have an affair with her. Although a U.S. District Court jury acquitted Julius F. Schill, 58, of San Juan Capistrano in the scheme, it convicted his co-defendant, Richard J. Dota, of murder for hire and conspiracy.

A defense attorney for a businessman accused of arranging to kill his secretary's fiance so he could pursue an affair with her said Tuesday that the woman had just as much of a motive for the crime as his client. In a rebuttal of the prosecution's allegation that Julius F. Schill, 57, arranged the unsuccessful murder of Wilbur Constable, 26, attorney Allan H. Stokke told a U.S.

An Orange County businessman denied Wednesday that he plotted to kill his secretary's fiance, but tearfully admitted that he had an affair with the woman, describing her as an "expensive toy." "I guess I was reacting like some males--it was nice to have your ego stroked a little bit," said Julius F. Schill, 58, about his affair with his 24-year-old secretary, Cynthia Asher. The testimony in U.S.

Two men who pleaded guilty to a murder conspiracy charge for the near-fatal attack on a former Marine testified Thursday that they never intended to kill the man. John Caravaggio and Scott Smith testified that they thought they were going to be paid $500 to beat Wilbur Constable with baseball bats and had no idea that their partner, Blake Tek Yoon, would pull out a handgun and shoot the man in the back of the head. "I intended to beat him up a little bit and go home," Smith testified.

An admitted hit man and underworld "debt collector" testified Thursday that he was hired to kill a Mission Viejo man who, prosecutors contend, stood in the way of an Orange County businessman's romantic pursuits. Blake Tek Yoon, 27, told a federal court jury that he was paid $3,000 to kill Wilbur Constable, 25. The payment was made by a reputed mobster who was arranging the murder contract for a "very wealthy" South County businessman, Yoon said.

A defense attorney for a businessman accused of arranging to kill his secretary's fiance so he could pursue an affair with her said Tuesday that the woman had just as much of a motive for the crime as his client. In a rebuttal of the prosecution's allegation that Julius F. Schill, 57, arranged the unsuccessful murder of Wilbur Constable, 26, attorney Allan H. Stokke told a U.S.

A man accused of arranging a mob-style murder contract on an ex-Marine as a favor for a Tustin businessman was denied bail Wednesday in federal court. Richard Marion Dota, 55, of Las Vegas sought to be released on $250,000 bail, but U.S. Magistrate Ronald W. Rose refused the request, saying the defendant had an extensive criminal record and was a flight risk, as well as a danger to public.

A Tustin businessman has pleaded not guilty to charges that he hired a reputed mobster to arrange the murder of his secretary's boyfriend. Julius Frederick Schill, 57, entered his plea in a federal court hearing Monday and was ordered to stand trial March 10. Richard Marion Dota, 55, the man Schill allegedly hired to arrange the killing, also pleaded not guilty. Federal authorities said Schill, the owner of the Tustin-based Auto Photo Systems, was expected to be released on $1.

Opposing attorneys in a murder-for-hire trial slammed each other's cases Friday, accusing one another of using perjured testimony and "smoke screen" arguments in an effort to "manipulate" the jury. The verbal sparring occurred during closing arguments in the trial of Orange County businessman Julius F. Schill and reputed mobster Richard M. Dota in U.S. District Court . Assistant U.S. Atty.

An admitted hit man and underworld "debt collector" testified Thursday that he was hired to kill a Mission Viejo man who, prosecutors contend, stood in the way of an Orange County businessman's romantic pursuits. Blake Tek Yoon, 27, told a federal court jury that he was paid $3,000 to kill Wilbur Constable, 25. The payment was made by a reputed mobster who was arranging the murder contract for a "very wealthy" South County businessman, Yoon said.

A man who is accused of pulling the trigger in a mob-style murder attempt on a Mission Viejo man said Wednesday that he was embarrassed when he learned what the motive was behind the contract to kill. Blake Tek Yoon said he and his "crew" believed they were out to kill a mob figure last Oct. 11. But the victim turned out to be Wilbur Constable, a 25-year-old salesclerk and ex-Marine who authorities said merely stood in the way of a wealthy businessman's romantic pursuits.

A man who survived a vicious mob-style murder attempt that authorities say was financed by a wealthy Orange County businessman said Tuesday that he had no idea why three thugs beat him with bats, shot him in the back of the head and left him for dead.